The Pulse

The Pulse

Aug 23, 2007

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The Pulse

The Pulse

I don't have time to train like I used to. What can I do?Crank up the intensity of your workouts. When you can train only a few times a week, you'll automatically have enough recovery time. Plus, shorter, high-octane workouts can be just as effective as longer sessions for improving performance. Here's how to stay in great shape with just three sub-one-hour workouts a week.

Monday: Sustained intervals. While running, cycling, or swimming, push your aerobic and lactic thresholds with three intervals of six minutes each at the highest pace you can maintain. Keep an easy resting pace for six minutes between intervals.

Wednesday: Resistance training. In six to ten exercises using various muscle groups, lift as much weight as you can safely handle (with good form) for three sets of eight reps each.

Friday: Two-minute drills. In an aerobic activity, go all out for five two-minute intervals, with each effort separated by no more than two minutes of recovery.

Chris Carmichael is head coach at Carmichael Training Systems and former trainer to Lance Armstrong.

Chris Carmichael

The Speed of BrightMatt Fitzgerald's new Brain Training for Runners (New American Library, $15) argues that your mind holds the key to increasing pace and distance and decreasing injuries. You also get conventional training tips, so you won't be let down if you find your brain has only one speed.

Alpha OmegaFish-oil pills keep getting better. Swedish researchers recently found that omega-3 fatty acids help build bone density in men ages 16 to 24, adding to a growing body of evidence that the compounds increase bone health across the board. Get yours in MenScience's Omega 3 Supplement Formula (menscience.com).

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